GAMELAN GITA SEMARA

About the Ensemble

GAMELAN GITA SEMARA (beautiful sound) was founded in 2010 by Dr. Brent C. Talbot and is housed at Gettysburg College in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. It is a gamelan angklung ensemble—one of more than twenty-five distinct types of ensembles found on the island of Bali. The instruments are tuned to a 5-tone slendro scale, though most ensembles like ours use only the four-tone mode of the five-tone scale. Our ensemble mainly plays a classical repertoire in keeping with the ritual and religious ceremonies for which the gamelan is primarily used. These ritual functions include tooth-filing ceremonies and cremations associated with the version of Hinduism found in Bali. In the twentieth century, newer styles of composition transferred to the repertoire of gamelan angklung—some of this repertoire you will hear today.

Gamelan at Gettysburg College, as in Bali, is a community effort. Our members include Gettysburg College students, faculty, and staff, as well as members of the Adams County community. Learned without notation through an aural tradition, the music requires players to work together to learn the techniques for how to play this music. Each gamelan cultivates its own style and expressive nuance within the rich tradition of the music. The result is a sense of group unity and pride as the audience hears the music and witnesses the collective efforts of the group.

Each year, Gamelan Gita Semara at Gettysburg College performs throughout Central Pennsylvania in programs of traditional and contemporary Balinese music. Artists-In-Residence programs bring the instruments to schools and universities within the region, where members of the ensemble present interactive workshops. Our gamelan has worked with internationally celebrated master teachers I Ketut Gede Asnawa and I Nyoman Suadin and in 2016 was invited by the Governor of Bali to perform at the Bali Arts Festival. In summer 2016, members of our gamelan were invited by the Governor of Bali to perform at the Bali Arts Festival. Participants spent four weeks in Bali learning multiple styles of music and dance. A similar trip will be offered in the summer of 2021.

New members are always welcome in the gamelan ensemble each year regardless of musical experience. The ensemble meets on Sunday afternoons in Schmucker Hall Room 117. Contact Dr. Talbot at btalbot@gettysburg.edu for more information.

Interested in bringing us to your area? Contact us at gamelangitasemara@gmail.com.